The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Pius Akutah, has called on foreign shipping companies and clearing agents operating at the nation’s seaports to engage in constructive dialogue to resolve the ongoing dispute over recently approved tariff increases.
Akutah made the appeal while speaking with journalists in Abeokuta on the sidelines of the Council’s management retreat, stressing that both parties must be willing to compromise in order to reach a mutually beneficial agreement and ensure stability within the maritime sector.
According to him, the Council had earlier declined requests by shipping companies to increase charges for two consecutive years, noting that the current approval was not necessarily aimed at boosting profit margins but to address rising operational costs faced by the operators.
The NSC boss emphasised that sustained engagement between stakeholders is critical to maintaining industrial harmony and preventing disruptions to port operations.
“I think that they need to work together more harmoniously to resolve these issues. We, as a regulator have given the approval. It is left for the shipping companies and the freight forwarders to come to a harmonious stand where they can implement this,” Akutah said.
He added that any meaningful resolution must be guided by compromise from both sides.
“There must be a reason for people to move and shift ground. It should be a give-and-take relationship. Whenever there is a standstill and nobody is moving, then there is a problem. I am not speaking on behalf of the shipping companies nor the freight forwarders, but I think they need to work together more harmoniously to resolve these issues,” he explained.
Akutah further reiterated the Council’s readiness to intervene more decisively if the disagreement persists, warning that the matter could be escalated to the Federal Government if both parties fail to reach a consensus.
“We cannot sit and watch this without taking steps. It will get to a point where we can escalate this to the level of the minister, if they fail to resolve it,” he stated.
He disclosed that the Council had previously attempted to facilitate discussions between the parties, but the disagreement had continued, hence the renewed call for both sides to return to the negotiating table.
“Recently, we tried to see how we can wade into this to see how they can resolve this, but this has kept going on. We are calling on both sides to go back to the table and see how they can resolve this issue and move on,” he said.
Akutah also urged stakeholders in the maritime industry to recognise the interdependent nature of the sector, stressing that cooperation remains essential for the continued growth and sustainability of Nigeria’s maritime industry.
“If they say there won’t be any hike in charges and at the end of the day the cost of operation has hindered them from carrying out their functions, then we will not have a maritime sector,” he warned.
